Category Archives: Fall Lawn Care

New Jersey is home to a very high deer population. While many of us enjoy the wildlife that New Jersey has to offer, deer are destructive to landscape plants. Damage to plants in the landscape is more prevalent in the winter. There are several reasons for this. First, the deer’s natural food supply in the woods is greatly reduced due to plants being dormant. The second is habitat reduction, as land is being cleared for construction of homes and businesses. In addition, the population of deer in our area has increased exponentially over the years. The combination of these factors lead to deer foraging on your landscape plants and making a meal out of your investment, your landscape.

There are several ways you can minimize winter deer damage on your landscape, also known as “deer proofing,” planting “deer resistant plants,” applying a netting, installing a fence, or applying winter deer repellent to your plants. Let’s talk about the first one, “deer resistant plants.” There are many plants in nurseries that boast a label that says “deer resistant”. Plants that have thorns, such as barberries, are not a favorite of deer, so it is a pretty safe plant to have. With that being said, who wants a landscape of just one type of plant? Boxwoods are another plant that are generally deer resistant. The word ‘generally’ was used because in rare cases, deer have eaten boxwoods. This has happened the past two winters when snow cover was on plants well into March. During harsh winters, deer are going to take advantage of any food source they can get in order to survive. Other examples of plants labeled as deer resistant are andromedas, viburnum, and osmanthus.

The second deterrent, installing a fence is a very good deterrent, but it may not be feasible for some people to have this done. Zoning laws and community rules may not allow it, or a new fence might not be something planned in the budget. Aesthetically, it’s not the most eye pleasing option and regardless, deer have been known to jump over a 6-foot fence with ease. Netting and temporary fencing are also options but may not be what you are looking for from an aesthetic standpoint either. Unless you’re planning to build a high-fence around your landscape, this might not be the best option for you.

The third deterrent is where we can help, applying a winter deer repellent directly to the plants that deer are known to feed on. Our winter deer repellent, called DeerPro, can be applied anytime from October to February. It is applied with a low volume backpack sprayer. One application in October will give you protection until the early spring. The active ingredient in the winter deer repellent is Thiram, which is a strong taste-deterrent. Deer are creatures of habit. They usually follow the same path daily and stop and eat at the same places. Deer will start to feed on the treated plants and realize they do not like the taste, causing them to move onto the next available food source. This is called a conditioned response. We are basically training the deer to not eat the treated plants, however the deer can still be on your property.

DeerPro winter deer repellent leaves a visible residue on the plant for the duration of the winter. When the material is first applied it appears whitish-green in color and pales as it dries. When the weather begins to warm up in the spring and the plant awakens from its dormant state, the material will start to fade away. Below is a video of DeerPro winter deer repellent being applied.

Through years of extensive trials, we have found repellents to be the most realistic and cost effective option when it comes to minimizing winter feeding damage. We feel that DeerPro winter deer repellent is the best product on the market and it provides the longest period of control. If you have deer feeding on your landscape and you are in our service area, give us a call @ 908-281-7888 for a free estimate.